Turf Wars

It's hard to imagine getting overheated about a chain of uninhabited rocks in the East China Sea. But a Japanese activist last week crashed a bus through the gates of the Chinese consulate in Osaka, livid about the mainland's claim of sovereignty over the DIAOYU ISLANDS. The Diaoyus—known in Japan as the Senkakus—have been under Japanese control for more than a century, but feuds still rage over who owns them. In March, Chinese nationalists planted a flag on Diaoyu soil; their subsequent arrest by the Japanese navy led to furious demonstrations in Beijing, with Chinese protesters burning Japanese flags. Intensifying the...